Paramedics deliver coffin to Brumby in protest

The Age
Stacey Lobo

Victoria's ambulance service is in crisis with overworked paramedics falling asleep at the wheel, the ambulance union said today.

Victorian paramedics have marched on Parliament demanding better wages and conditions.

More than 100 paramedics gathered on the steps of Parliament to protest working conditions that they said had led to an increase in ambulance response times.

A coffin filled with 5000 postcards from members of the public in support of the paramedics was delivered to Parliament as the Ambulance Employees Association called on the Government to boost paramedic numbers.

The union's secretary Steve McGhie said another 350 paramedics were needed in Victoria immediately.

"Paramedics are fed up with the lack of action taken by government ... paramedics are working harder, longer and faster every day," he said.

A report tabled in Parliament two weeks ago showed Melbourne ambulance response times had blown out to 16.5 minutes, 1.5 minutes above the state's benchmark while callers in rural Victoria are waiting 26 minutes for an ambulance, up from 25 minutes.

The union blamed poor staffing levels for the increase in waiting times.

Protesting paramedics waved placards and yelled for the Government to fix what they said had become a crisis.

The union has been in negotiations with the Government for the past seven months.

Mr McGhie said an offer by the Brumby Government for another 258 paramedics over the next four years was not good enough.

The union wants paramedics to have a minimum 10-hour break between shifts and said many officers suffered fatigue on the job with some falling asleep while driving and others reporting making mistakes because of exhaustion.

Mr McGhie said poor working conditions had made it increasingly difficult for ambulance services to attract and retain staff.

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